This invention relates to Kanji-character writing devices utilized not only to type Kanji-characters but also used as input/output terminal devices of electronic computers, Kanji-character teletypewriter systems, input/output devices for printing devices and many other fields.
The number of type elements in a conventional Kanji-character typewriter is much greater than the number of characters in western alphabets, which makes it difficult to miniaturize typewriters of Japanese and Kanji-characters and greatly decreases efficiency in the work of typewriting. For example, while the number of alphabet characters is only 26, the number of Kanji-characters that are daily used in Japan amounts to several thousands. When added with special Kanji-characters which are used to represent names of individuals and local places, a Kanji-character typewriter must store more than ten thousands type elements. For this reason, it is extremely difficult for an unskilled typist to find desired type elements so that special training is necessary for the typists who operate Japanese typewriters.
It is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel Kanji-character writing device which is simple in construction, and can readily seach out desired characters.
Typewriters for printing Kanji-characters or for printing alphabets are constructed such that each type element corresponds to one character. Accordingly, it has been inevitable that the size of typewriters utilized to print such Kanji-characters has increased, and until today no revolutionary improvement has been made for simplifying Kanji-character typewriters. Yet the development regarding Kanji-character information processing technique in the peripheral input/output device of electronic computers is remarkable in recent years. However, such development is limited to the Kanji-character input and output systems for use in computers. According to one Kanji-character input system which was developed for the purpose of miniaturizing a Kanji-character input panel or a Kanji-character input keyboard, an input Kanji-character is formed by synthesizing a number of patterns. The pattern herein used means an abstractive symbol representing a portion of a Kanji-character. Generally Kanji-characters are made up of a single part or a combination of several independent or non-overlapping component parts such as "Hen" "Tsukuri," "Kammuri," and Shinnyo. In the following description, these parts are designated as "part contours" and since each part comprises a specific arrangement of segments when it is intended to express the structure of a combination of segments, a term "segment structure" is used. The abstractive symbol used for this purpose is an abstractive profile representing the positional relationship and size of a particular portion of a Kanji-character. To synthesize a number of input patterns into a desired profile it is necessary to use a function input that designates the synthesized profile in addition to the input patterns. Accordingly, such an input system requires additional input elements thus complicating the system. In addition, such a system must be operated by a skilled expert because, to give a correct designation, the operator must have accurate knowledge of the content and meaning of the various function inputs.
In the prior art Kanji-character input system described above, although it is possible to decrease to a certain extent the size of the input panel because it is necessary to arrange only the pattern displays on the Kanji-character display panel, an additional load is imposed upon the source because special function inputs are required. Moreover, the computer should be provided with a large capacity memory device capable of storing information of at least several thousands of Kanji-characters according to the pattern input system which increases the size and cost.
The prior art Kanji-character output systems include a type element printing system, a dot matrix system, a stroke system, a letter analogue system and a letter optical system, but in each system one letter is made to correspond to one character so as to produce and write one character as one unit. For this reason, where a large number of character type elements is involved, the output mechanism becomes bulky.
In each of the prior art Kanji-character information processing systems, the input and output systems are independent so that they can operate only through an intermediary action of a computer. Thus, the prior art processing system is extremely complicated.